Golemancy

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Golemancy brings an entirely new form of crafting to DnD fifth edition.

This system involved crafting extremely customizable golems with almost 50 unique options to pick and choose from for your creation. It is based off a point buy system that is limited in points by the spell slot used to animate the golem. The system promotes cooperation as casters can combine their efforts in order to animate a golem far more powerful than anything they could animate as an individual.

Some examples of golems that can be made via this system:

* Any of the golems found within the Monster Manual

* A three-headed dragon golem, complete with fire breath

* A tiny golem who's only purpose is to get a hold of your enemy and self-destruct with explosive fury

* A humanoid-piloted golem, or even a humanoid-piloted golem, within a golem, within a golem like a Russian Nesting Doll, or a Spiral Warrior finally ready to finish off the anti-spirals.

* A team of humanoid-piloted, lion-shaped golems that can join together to become a gargantuan humanoid golem.

You can even use the same system to create replacement golem limbs for characters that have suffered a horrible amputation. Or just characters who think it would be really cool to have a golem arm.

The booklet also contains one new tool proficiency, one new feat, four new spells, and two new archetypes (A wizard school and a fighter's martial archetype).

It really is worth the look, whether you just want to tinker with the golem customization options, or if you want to beg your fellow players to make new characters so you guys can finally witness a battle between Voltron and a Tarrasque.

An adventure that can be easily implemented into any campaign, or even extend into being a campaign all onto itself. It is modular in nature, in order to have it takes exactly as much time as you wish it to, while catering for groups of any level or size.

17 pages of rules designed to both make various vampire races a balanced player option, as well as raise the potential of npc vampires in order to make truly terrifying, ancient vampiric villains that rival the gods.

In 3 5e, there was an option for warforged called a wand sheath. It allowed them to store a wand inside an arm and activate it as normal. I think adding a similar option for golems would allow for greater variety, opening up the possibility of support golems (cure wounds/ray of enfeeblement) and artillery golems (magic missile/fireball).

Brian WFebruary 21, 2019 3:54 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Out of curiousity, since Animate Golem is a 3rd level spell wouldn't that mean that characters who take the Golemancer subclass not actually be able to start using their abilities until around 5th level? I might have just missed something but that seems like a lot of investment if you're not starting at a level that gives you a 3rd level spell slot.

Also in some of the lower discussions it was mentioned that for a solo caster to animate a golem with a large number of creation points they need to spam Animate Golem until they pay off the CP cost, but the spell description says the ritual animating the golem has to be continuous or it fails. Would using multiple spells sequentially just be considered the caster mantaining the magic needed to successfully complete the ritual and animate the golem then?

James LAugust 07, 2018 2:45 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Out of curiosity, why does no intelligence cost as much as human intelligence? From an engineering standpoint the intelligence core at that point could be any item that just bridges the connection. As for balance, there is essentially no reason to take “no intelligence” when human intelligence gives you more options for a negligible cost and berserking, which you gave methods to essentially get rid of as a threat.

Cody TNovember 13, 2017 4:58 am UTC

I'm looking at the full size preview and the gestalt table seems weird. either I'm understanding it wrong or its backwards, because from what i can see its saying that tiny golems can't gestalt and up to 9 gargantuan golems can gestalt which does not seem right.

Daniel BOctober 21, 2016 6:37 am UTC

PURCHASER

For the life of me, I can't see what AC a golem should have.
Any tips?

Gerard SOctober 23, 2016 6:51 am UTC

CREATOR

Golems have the same AC as a character (10 + Dexmod). The size and material of the construct can increase that number further.
Although I do seem to have goofed as the numbers don't add up to what is possible in the MM. I will update in a week or so, but in the meantime, the Clay Material should give a +1 AC bonus and the large size should give Conmod to AC.

Rebbecca BApril 24, 2016 6:05 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Is the design ingenuity feature ment to give 4 additional points for a third level spell or just make 4 of the max 6 points free time and money wise?

Gerard SApril 26, 2016 3:01 am UTC

CREATOR

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking, but basically if you have that ability you are able to craft a husk as per normal and then give it four points worth of features on top of that. You don't need to spend any time or money on crafting those extra features, that time is considered to be part of the time you spent crafting the other aspects of the husk.
When it comes to enchanting the husk, you need to enchant the entire value, meaning you need to enchant both the points that you paid for, as well as the four you gained free, via that ability.

March 11, 2016 2:46 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Is there a plan to incorporate this into a full class, such as a Golemancer or Artificer?

Gerard SMarch 11, 2016 4:24 pm UTC

CREATOR

Not really, there isn't really much more a class could do regarding Golemancy that the subclasses aren't already taking care of.
However I was considering an artificer class for another product that I may eventually write, if I did so it would be relevant for the Golemancer too, so I'd stick it in here. I wouldn't count on that happening though - it is seeming pretty unlikely of late.

tomas SFebruary 12, 2016 11:51 pm UTC

PURCHASER

hey there i can't find how to generate the time needed to craft each tipe of golem. could you clarify this point please?

Gerard SFebruary 13, 2016 3:32 am UTC

CREATOR

Creating the husk uses the standard crafting rules or whatever you have homebrewed those crafting rules with (everyone homebrews - those rules suck). Just add up the gold value of all of your components to find the final value and craft it at however many gold your can craft per day. The spells in the book as well as the subclasses can speed up the required time considerably.

As for animating the golem husk into a full-fledged golem, add up all of the golem creation points of all of the components and spam your animate golem spell until you have cast it enough time to match the golem creation points. The amount of times you can cast the spell in a day is what dictates how long it will take. A high level caster using all available spell slots can animate a golem relatively quickly.

Chris NMay 19, 2016 9:21 am UTC

PURCHASER

That's not what the Animate Golem spell says. RAW it suggest that golems *must* be animated in a single casting and a solo caster may never animate a golem costing more than 6 points (+2 per slot above 3rd) - full stop. You've specified a different set of rules in your reply to Brandon B below, is that the definitive answer?

August 18, 2016 9:49 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Just wanted to bump this question to get confirmation if possible. To Clarify:

One caster can create a 18 point golem by spending 9 hours and 9 total levels of spells. (Therefore casting the 3rd level version 3 times for example)
Does this sound right?
Also, do they have to be done to completion or could the animator perform one spell session, then come back later to do the rest? My DM and I are very interested in the intended design mechanic.

The wording and theme of the spell seem to indicate that the only way to get more animating umph is to have more casters, so a definitive clarification would be greatly appreciated.

brandon BFebruary 10, 2016 7:08 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hi there,
I was reading through the guide and maybe i didn't notice but i cant seem to find how you generate or determine creation points. Could you clarify this point please?
Thanks.

Gerard SFebruary 11, 2016 6:50 pm UTC

CREATOR

The Animate Golem spell is where you want to be looking, but I'll explain here anyway.
Basically, creation points are just a limit. You build yourself a body for the golem through regular crafting and add up all of the creation points of your chosen options. You then cast the spell "Animate Golem" a whole bunch of times. Each time you cast that spell on the golem husk, you pay off 2 of those creation points per level of the spell slot. When you have cast the spell enough times to pay off all of the creation points, then the golem is animated.

Jan JSeptember 28, 2017 5:47 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I think your explanation is contrary to the spirit of the creation process, ergo that one caster is limited through the points and therfore more powerful wizards have to join together to make the greatest of golems.
I quickly repaired it for me to serve the spirit and still makes it playable as a solo caster, maybe others can profit from my thoughts:

First you only get to use one spell for the creation process. You may spend twice your invested spell level as husk points e.g. for a 7th spell slot 14 points max. Then with the golem crafter tradition you get instead x3 points, no matter which spell slot you use(of course at least 3rd level, e.g. for the 7th spell slot 21 Points).

In your description casting the spell with two casters is at best equal or worse than solocasting. To improve this I think it should be like: The best caster gets to use his full potential, additonal casters contribute half their points. But a high level caster cant work together well with low level casters....See more For each spell level difference the penalty is 2 husk points.(A 9th spell level plus a 5th level get (9*3)+(5*3/2)-(4*2) husk points therefore the mighty wizard is only distraced by the unmighty wiz)

The mechanics are not playtested yet but I think its at least some improvement especially in terms of flavor.

Golemancy is a short, but entertaining supplement that focuses on, you guessed it, Golems including how they are made, controlled, along with different feats and spells pertaining to Golemancy. The most interesting piece of content is the addition of [...]

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